A method and apparatus for automated mirroring is presented. In a particular embodiment of a method for automated mirroring, a Network Device running as a Fabric Attach (FA) Server receives an FA Type Length Value (TLV) from an Access Device running as a FA proxy or client. The Access Device is configured to mirror traffic to a Remote Switch Port Analyzer (RSPAN) Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN). The TLV includes a request to associate the RSPAN VLAN with a Service Identifier (I-SID) used to carry mirror traffic in a network. The method includes wherein the FA server receives the mirrored traffic on the RSPAN VLAN. The FA Server signals the I-SID into the network, and detects receive interest in the I-SID. The FA Server delivers the mirrored traffic to devices that expressed a receive interest in the mirrored traffic.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, on a Network Device running as a Fabric Attach (FA) Server, an FA Type Length Value (TLV) from an Access Device running as a FA proxy or client, the Access Device configured to mirror traffic to a Remote Switch Port Analyzer (RSPAN) Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN), wherein the TLV includes a request to associate the RSPAN VLAN with a Service Identifier (I-SID) used to carry mirror traffic in a network; receiving, by said FA server, the mirrored traffic on the RSPAN VLAN; signaling, by said FA server, the I-SID into the network; detecting, by said FA server, receive interest in the I-SID; and delivering, by said FA server, the mirrored traffic to devices that expressed a receive interest in the mirrored traffic.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said FA TLV includes at least one of a transmit (TX) bit and a Receive (RX) bit.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein said at least one of a transmit (TX) bit and a Receive (RX) bit use at least one reserved bit in a currently defined TLV.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein said at least one of a transmit (TX) bit and a Receive (RX) bit are part of a newly defined TLV.
5. The method of claim 2 wherein only one of said Transmit (TX) bit and said Receive (RX) bit are active at a same time.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said RSPAN comprises an Encapsulated Remote Switch Port Analyzer (ERSPAN).
7. The method of claim 1 wherein said network comprises a Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) network.
8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable code thereon for automated mirroring and Remote Switch Port Analyzer (RSPAN)/Encapsulated Remote Switch Port Analyzer (ERSPAN) functions using Fabric Attach (FA) Signaling, the medium including instructions in which a computer system performs operations comprising: receiving, on a Network Device running as a Fabric Attach (FA) Server, an FA Type Length Value (TLV) from an Access Device running as a FA proxy or client, the Access Device configured to mirror traffic to a Remote Switch Port Analyzer (RSPAN) Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN), wherein the TLV includes a request to associate the RSPAN VLAN with a Service Identifier (I-SID) used to carry mirror traffic in a network; receiving, by said FA server, the mirrored traffic on the RSPAN VLAN; signaling, by said FA server, the I-SID into the network; detecting, by said FA server, receive interest in the I-SID; and delivering, by said FA server, the mirrored traffic to devices that expressed a receive interest in the mirrored traffic.
9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein said FA TLV includes at least one of a transmit (TX) bit and a Receive (RX) bit.
10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein said at least one of a transmit (TX) bit and a Receive (RX) bit use at least one reserved bit in a currently defined TLV.
11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein said at least one of a transmit (TX) bit and a Receive (RX) bit are part of a newly defined TLV.
12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein only one of said Transmit (TX) bit and said Receive (RX) bit are active at a same time.
13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein said RSPAN comprises an Encapsulated Remote Switch Port Analyzer (ERSPAN).
14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein said network comprises a Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) network.
15. A network device comprising: a memory; a processor; a communications interface; an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor and the communications interface; and wherein the memory is encoded with an application providing automated mirroring and Remote Switch Port Analyzer (RSPAN)/Encapsulated Remote Switch Port Analyzer (ERSPAN) functions using Fabric Attach (FA) Signaling, that when performed on the processor, provides a process for processing information, the process causing the network device to perform the operations of: receiving, on a Network Device running as a Fabric Attach (FA) Server, an FA Type Length Value (TLV) from an Access Device running as a FA proxy or client, the Access Device configured to mirror traffic to a Remote Switch Port Analyzer (RSPAN) Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN), wherein the TLV includes a request to associate the RSPAN VLAN with a Service Identifier (I-SID) used to carry mirror traffic in a network; receiving, by said FA server, the mirrored traffic on the RSPAN VLAN; signaling, by said FA server, the I-SID into the network; detecting, by said FA server, receive interest in the I-SID; and delivering, by said FA server, the mirrored traffic to devices that expressed a receive interest in the mirrored traffic.
16. The network device of claim 15 wherein said FA TLV includes at least one of a transmit (TX) bit and a Receive (RX) bit.
17. The network device of claim 16 wherein said at least one of a transmit (TX) bit and a Receive (RX) bit use at least one reserved bit in a currently defined TLV.
18. The network device of claim 16 wherein said at least one of a transmit (TX) bit and a Receive (RX) bit are part of a newly defined TLV.
19. The network device of claim 16 wherein only one of said Transmit (TX) bit and said Receive (RX) bit are active at a same time.
20. The network device of claim 15 wherein said RSPAN comprises an Encapsulated Remote Switch Port Analyzer (ERSPAN).
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
January 29, 2016
September 11, 2018
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